The northern Gaza Strip is facing a dire humanitarian crisis as only a trickle of aid manages to reach the desperate and hungry population. The United Nations has warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are at risk of famine after nearly five months of fighting and blockade.
Despite efforts to send aid trucks to northern Gaza, the situation remains grim. Fifteen trucks were dispatched overnight, but at least five were looted along the way, according to an Israeli official. It is unclear how many trucks reached their intended destination, but Palestinian businessmen are working to send more relief.
Aid officials have raised the alarm about the dire lack of food in Gaza, with over 500,000 people already facing hunger. Children are particularly vulnerable, with one in six under the age of 2 acutely malnourished. The World Health Organization has reported severe levels of malnutrition and children dying of starvation in hospitals in the north.
The desperate conditions have led to chaotic scenes, including a deadly incident last week when Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians gathered around aid trucks. Over 100 Palestinians were killed, prompting international pressure on Israel to facilitate more aid for Gaza.
President Biden has called for more aid to be delivered quickly, and the United States recently made airdrops of food into Gaza for the first time. Despite Israel’s restrictions on aid, more trucks have been allowed into Gaza, but the amount is still far below what is needed to address the crisis.
U.N. officials are pushing for a new system to deliver aid directly to northern Gaza, bypassing the current bottlenecks and ensuring that relief reaches those in need. The situation remains critical, and urgent action is needed to prevent further suffering in the region.
